Hello there!
In the heart of Washington DC, the State of the Union address is just around the corner. If you're no fan of American politics (especially with the predictable primaries), it feels like we're currently residing in a State of Commotion.
📝 Deliverable
▶️ The YouTube Short video (uploaded Monday) is a rehash and update of my WordPress post 10 years ago.
News
National
🪳 NAIA PEST CONTROL
NAIA ramps up pest control after passengers complain of bugs | GMA News
Videos of rat, bed bugs prompt inspection at NAIA | GMA News
🧑🏼⚖️ Lorraine Badoy is guilty of indirect contempt for red tagging judge – SC | Inquirer
🧓🏼♿ Seniors, PWDs to get P500 monthly grocery discount starting March | PhilStar
🚔 Drag artist Pura Luka Vega nabbed anew over ‘Ama Namin’ performance | PhilStar
🔫 More firearms surrendered by Basilan residents | PhilStar
🔫 PNP allows civilians to own semi-automatic rifles | GMA News
🚦 SC orders Metro Manila LGUs to cease traffic receipts, confiscate driver's licenses | PhilStar
OBITUARY: NAMFREL Founder Jose Concepcion, Jr., 92 | Inquirer
Regional
🏫 Iloilo City school to cease operations after 52 years | Inquirer
🚴🏼 Entangled shoelace leads to cyclist’s death in Davao | MindaNews
International
🇺🇸 US Elections 2024
Pre-Super Tuesday Primaries and Caucuses
GOP: While Trump unsurprisingly managed to get delegates from Missouri, Idaho, Michigan and North Dakota, Haley grabbed the Nation’s Capital (those MAGA folks disparagingly call her the “Queen of the Swamp”).
Super Tuesday and Thereafter
GOP: Trump wins all states’ primaries on Super Tuesday but one (Vermont). But Haley finally waves the white flag.
Other Races and Intentions
U.S. Senate: Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) to retire | CNN
🇵🇹 Global Election Watch
Portugal will hold a snap legislative election this Sunday.
Latest opinion poll (Duplimetrica, March 2-4, 2024):
Alianca Democratica: 36% (lead of 9)
Partido Socialista: 27%
Chega!: 16%
Left Bloc: 6%
Liberal Initiative: 5%
LIVRE: 4%
Unitary Democratic Coalition: 3%
Others: 3%
Latest Preferred Prime Minister (CESOP–UCP, 19–21 Feb 2024)
Luis Montenegro (PSD, AP): 46%
Pedro Nuno Santos (PS): 34%
No opinion: 20%
Other International News
🌋 Galapagos island volcano erupts, sends lava flowing to sea | Inquirer
🇫🇷 France makes abortion a constitutional right in historic Versailles vote | The Guardian
OBITUARY: Canadian PM Brian Mulroney, 84 | AP
Economy
✈️ American Airlines to Buy 260 New Planes From Boeing, Airbus and Embraer to Meet Growing Demand | U.S. News (via AP)
Sports
🛑 MMA: Joshua Pacio Reclaims ONE Strawweight MMA World Title After Jarred Brooks Gets DQ’d For Illegal Slam | ONE FC
🏐 Volleyball: Criss Cross King Crunchers join Spikers' Turf | GMA News
🏀 NBA: LeBron James reaches 40,000 points to extend his career scoring record | AP
Entertainment
Noontime Show Watch
Last Saturday (March 2), Tahanang Pinakamasaya (GMA) aired its last live episode.
This marked a significant moment for the show, which had changed after TAPE stopped using Eat Bulaga! and adopted a new name for its program on GMA in January.
71st Miss World
The long-awaited coronation night will happen this weekend at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, India.
During the Miss World Festival, the Philippine bet, Gwendolyne Fourniol, advanced to the Top 25 of the Head to Head Challenge after impressing with her speech on education and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. She also qualified for the Sports Challenge Final as one of Asia and Oceania's top eight candidates. Fourniol also showcased Ilonggo textiles in her national costume.
Other Entertainment
💔 Sarah Lahbati officially confirms split with Richard Gutierrez | PhilStar
🎸💋 ERAS TOUR:
👀 Singapore's Eras Tour deal causes bad blood with neighboring countries | USA Today
🐾 While at the Tour, 4th Impact draws flak over fundraising for 'dreamland' of 200 dogs | PhilStar Life
OBITUARY: Jaclyn Jose, 60 | PhilStar
Media
🇳🇿 Newshub is set to close – New Zealand’s democracy will be poorer for it | The Guardian (UK)
Technology
🍎 Apple hit with $2 billion EU antitrust fine in Spotify case | Reuters
❌ Former Twitter execs sue Elon Musk for over $128 mln in severance | Reuters
Lifestyle
🕰️ Manila Clock Tower Museum now open on weekends | Manila Bulletin
🎭 An opera in Tondo? Italy brings Giacomo Puccini’s play to Manila’s slum | Inquirer
Insights
Within Substack
Outside World
👛 What happens when you run out of coins? | BBC World Service (podcast)
🔥 Timow’s Weekly Editorials
There will be two editorials this week because there will be three issues this month (no issue on March 28).
1: Breaking the vicious circle of the residential inferno
As Fire Prevention Month rolls around, the spectacle of firetrucks parading through our streets and firefighters distributing safety leaflets masks a stark reality: our cities are ablaze with a silent crisis — especially with the rise of El Nino. Despite these efforts, our early evening news bulletins continue to blaze with reports of devastating fires, adding to the cacophony of crimes, accidents, and sensational incidents.
Recent data from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) paints a chilling picture: there were 2,742 fire incidents nationwide in the first two months of 2024 — a staggering 23% increase compared to the same period last year. Cigarettes, open-flame cooking, and electrical faults are the igniters of this inferno, but the real fuel lies in our homes.
The cycle begins innocently, with families constructing shelters from accessible materials like wood and corrugated metal. Yet, these materials, while affordable, transform homes into potential tinderboxes. When flames engulf from one’s neglect, families rebuild with the same combustible materials, setting the stage for another disaster.
This perilous cycle is exacerbated in densely populated urban areas such as Metro Manila, where tightly packed homes turn fires into urban infernos. The high population density and narrow streets thwart firefighters' efforts, causing devastation in their wake.
The cost of this cycle goes far beyond monetary value. Lives are lost, families are displaced, and pollutants clog the air, exacerbating urban pollution. We can no longer afford the cost.
To break the cycle, we must take a multifaceted approach. The dangers of combustible materials in construction must be highlighted. Governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must provide financial support for fire-resistant materials. Stricter building codes are required, especially in urban areas, to ensure safer construction.
The choice is ours: continue to dance with the flames or put out the threat once and for all. Let us work together to build safer, more resilient communities. The time to act is now before another spark ignites our cities.
2: That’s why we (ASEAN) can’t have nice things
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is currently underway in Singapore, but many Swifties in the country's ASEAN neighbors are envious of the city-state's unique staging. It was primarily due to two factors: (1) the city-state is well-kept and respected, and (2) her mother, Andrea, spent her early years there.
Following Swift's exclusive deal, neighboring countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are grappling with the fallout.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's candid expression of disappointment echoes the sentiments felt throughout the region. However, Thailand’s internal geopolitical situation is problematic for the concert organizers. With a sense of humor, one could say, "He knew she was trouble when she walked in," lamenting the missed opportunity to host the pop icon on their turf.
Indonesia, known for its breathtaking landscapes and vibrant culture, has also been swept up in the Swiftonomics frenzy. Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia's tourism minister, sees potential in leveraging Swift's celebrity to boost Indonesian tourism. However, with their recent presidential election less than a month ago, "Only the Young" was deemed no longer a coping mechanism but a trigger song of traumatic memories for those who campaigned and voted against the clear winner. Indonesia is pushed to the outskirts of the Swift spectacle and is forced to be "out of the woods."
While Malaysia is not directly affected by the exclusive agreement, the consequences can be felt throughout the region. The tourism industry, in particular, is caught in the crossfire, as the influx of visitors to Singapore for the Eras Tour makes neighboring countries green with envy.
Here at home, where Taylor last performed a decade ago for the Red Tour, Congressman Joey Salceda raised the alarm, requesting clarification from Singapore on the alleged multi-million dollar deal. He's not shaking it off lightly, claiming that such exclusivity undermines solidarity and consensus-building. It's a delicate dance between diplomacy and fandom, with higher stakes than in "Blank Space." Although we have the Philippine Arena ready for her, let’s not forget the experiences the previous performers and the fans have harnessed there like the lack of nearby hotel accommodations, traffic coordination and location. (Didn’t we even forget, protectionism and security?)
It serves as a reminder that in the game of global tourism, sometimes you win, and sometimes you're left singing "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."
In this tangled web of geopolitics and pop culture, one thing is certain: the power of music knows no boundaries. Swift's Eras Tour may have unintentionally highlighted the cracks in Southeast Asian relations, but it also serves as a reminder of the unifying power of art and music. As countries deal with the aftermath, perhaps it's time to shake off the disappointment and embrace the rhythm of change.
In the end, while Southeast Asia may have missed out on hosting Swift's iconic performances, her music's legacy will live on. From the streets of Bangkok to the beaches of Bali, her songs continue to captivate young and old fans alike.
Taylor says, "Long live all the magic we made." Who knows? Perhaps the next chapter in Swift's journey will take her back to the shores of Southeast Asia, where fans eagerly await her triumphant arrival. Until then, let us keep the music playing and the dreams alive because that is ultimately all that matters.
✋🏼Before You Go!
🕸️ Alain Robert, also known as the "French Spider-Man," scaled a 47-floor building in Makati City last Tuesday.
✴ With her red-carpet appearance at the SAG Awards, Liza Soberano joins the organization.
🗨 Thoughtful Quote
Fans are my favorite thing in the world. I've never been the type of artist who has that line drawn between their friends and their fans. The line's always been really blurred for me. I'll hang out with them after the show. I'll hang out with them before the show. If I see them in the mall, I'll stand there and talk to them for 10 minutes.
~Taylor Swift
Your Chief Tiller in the humble patch of the cyberspace,
~~ Timow